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Attention Dallas sushi lovers, if you love sushi (because you love the food, not because you love the trendiness of the sushi restaurant scene) and want to find an affordable, quality place for sushi, try Seabose Grocery at the southwest corner of Marsh and Trinity Mills. Seabose is a small Japanese grocery store that flies in fresh sushi grade fish every Tuesday and Friday. You can buy your own fish or order rolls or nigri (made to order by the in-store sushi chef).

After getting the tip about Seabose on Chowhound, I couldn’t wait to try this place. I love going out for sushi, but I’m not always up for getting dressed up and making an entire night of it. Sometimes you just want quick sushi to satisfy the craving. And let’s face it, grocery store sushi just doesn’t cut it.

Last Friday was just one of those nights. The cold and rain didn’t seem inviting for a night out. I stopped by Seabose to pick up some sushi to go (there is no dining area). This is a small operation. One girl behind the cashier’s drawer, one sushi chef, and one more lady running between the other two straightening up loose ends. After scanning the menu, I decided on the Chef’s Combo, 5 pieces of assorted nigri and a tuna roll for $7.99, and added an extra piece of salmon nigri for $1.50.

While I waited for my sushi to be prepared (you can also call ahead to order, I saw a Japanese man who ordered two party platters come in and out quickly), I walked around the store examining the selection of sushi grade tuna, salmon, cuttlefish, yellowtail, and others I can’t recall. If you’re willing to cut and prepare your own sushi, this is a great resource.

When my order was ready, they packaged it up with a packet of wasabi paste, soy sauce, green tea bag, and chopsticks. And the sushi was splendid!

The fish was so fresh that every piece practically melted in your mouth, yum! The fatty tuna was especially memorable, plump and soft. I’m still undecided about the cuttlefish, the texture was just a tad too rubbery/weird for me.

So the word is out on affordable and fresh sushi, Dallas sushi lovers. If you can read Japanese, then you can visit the Seabose blog which actually posts what type of fish they’re getting each week. But if Japanese characters mean nothing to you (as in my case), then you’ll just have to drop by the store to find out.

$9.99…let’s see Sushi Heaven has a chef’s combo but it might only be 5 nigiri, and one of them is omelet. Salmon, tuna, “red snapper”…forget the other one, and omelet so yea that’s only 5 but I think it’s a buck cheaper, plus you get to sit and talk to Yun and Sue, oh yea and you get the bowl of miso soup as well and choice of roll (I’ve had rainbow, cajun, and volcano). So pretty comparable. Plus I seem to get the good ginger 😀 Try it sometime if you’re in the neighborhood, it’s the old Sushi Donuts, now Sushi Heaven, behind the Royal Chopstix just south of 15th and Jupiter. Feel free to say I sent you, they might know who you mean.

sushi heaven, while still open, appears to be for sale. i live pretty close and have wondered how it survives. maybe the owner hoped he had a following, but there aren’t enough sushi consumers in the area to support him. royal chopstix in the same center does much better with its $5.45 to-go business